title: Experimental studies and mathematical modeling of an up-flow biofilm reactor treating mustard oil rich wastewater.
abstract: Bioremediation of lipid-rich model wastewater was investigated in a packed bed biofilm reactor (anaerobic filter). A detailed study was conducted about the influence of fatty acid concentration on biomethanation of the high-fat liquid effluent of edible oil refineries. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the liquid waste was reported and maximum cumulative methane production at the exit of the reactor is estimated to be 785 ml CH(4) (STP)/(gVSS added). The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), organic loading rate (OLR) and bed porosity on the cold gas efficiency or energy efficiency of the bioconversion process were also investigated. Results revealed that the maximum cold gas efficiency of the process is 42% when the total organic load is 2.1 g COD/l at HRT of 3.33 days. Classical substrate uninhibited Monod model is used to generate the differential system equations which can predict the reactor behavior satisfactorily.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Chandrima
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Ranjana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Pinaki
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009149:Mustard Plant / Q000378:metabolism*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D010938:Plant Oils; C027793:mustard oil